while passengers on the 300-ton airbus report feeling only a slight rumble. >> airfrance thinks he may have hit somebody. >> the 56 people on the smaller comair bombardier feel a violent jolt. luckily, no one is injured. i think the takeaway from this show is, keep your seat belt on. i'm contessa brewer. that's all for this edition of "caught on camera." klug. this morning on "first look," nasty weather, inkuding a

chance of strong tornados and thunderstorms could be on the way for christmas day. a holiday tragedy in new york state as firefighters rush into a deadly trap. plus, the latest on former president george h.w. bush's health. where is netflix when you need it most, and the queen goes 3-d? hmm. very merry christmas to you. good morning. i'm veronica de la cruz. parts of the country are waking up to a white christmas. a nasty weather system col whip up dangerous conditions in the southeast. dylan dreyer has been tracking the storm for us. >> it's a little bit of everything. we are looking at a severe storm certainly possible. we've already had a tornado warning posted down through northern acadia parish in louisiana since lifted. but we are going to see more severe weather break out with a

good chance of seeing some potential for tornados. we also have snow falling all across new england right now. heaviest in upstate new york. we still have the win themy mix back through the hartford area. we also stloe to keep an eye out for these storms where we do have a severe thunderstorm watch posted and eventually will see severe thunderstorm warnings get issued i'd say all across louisiana. all of those flashes of light, that's the cloud to ground lightning we're seeing. very strong storms back through louisiana and northeastern texas, as well. you go further north. we have winter weather warnings and advisories and watches basically from texas all the way up into northern new england and slowly going to see this thing start to spread eastward. however, for the gulf coast area, especially right along the coast where we are going to see the biggest threat for tornadoes. even the shading of yellow here from eastern texas all the way

into western south carolina, we have the potential of very strong storms with wind gusts up to 70 miles per hour and also the chance of seeing a lot of cloud to ground lightning, as well. here's a look at our snowfall forecast. parts of oklahoma picking up 3 to 6 inches of snow. from arkansas all the way up into northern naernd, we could see 3 to 6 inches of snow. the purple is an area of buffalo into cleveland, we could end up seeing a foot of snow. we're really talking about everything with this big storm system. >> we'll keep our fingers crossed. thank you, dillon. folks outside the upstate new york city of rochester are still in shock in morning after a twisted holiday tragedy that will left two firefighters dead and two others hospitalized christmas eve. chris pallone has this one. >> reporter: a sleepy vacation community northeast of rochester, new york, is in shock after a gunman lured firefighters to a neighborhood and shot them. investigators in webster, new

york, say four firpths responded to reports of a house and car on fire around 5:30 monday morning. two in a fire truck, two others in their own cars. >> it appears that it was a trap, that there was a car and a house that were engulfed in flame. >> one of the men was able to retreat to safety after being s.w.a.t. a s.w.a.t. team in an armored vehicle retrieved the other three. toe tas kaczowka and mike chiapperini were dead. police evacuated at least 30 people from the area and seven homes were damaged or destroyed. the shooter was found shot dead near the scene. police say he killed himself identified as william spengler, a man with a lengthy criminal history and served time for killing his grandmother. throughout the day, townspeople remembered the fallen firefighters as they tried to make sense of the senseless. >> you know, these people, they're just always there for you, you know? you just take them for granted.

you don't know -- it's really heart breaking for these families and these people. and what they have to go through and so close to a holiday where we're supposed to love each other. >> firefighters' families know their loved ones put their lives on the line every day but could never imagine something like that would happen. >> they don't expect to be shot and killed. >> a time which should be filled with joy has been replaced with sorrow. chris pallone, nbc news. >> former president george h.w. bush took a turn for the worse last night. he's developed a fever and will be spending christmas in the hospital. his doctors now say they are cautiously optimistic that mr. bush who is 88 will recover. he has been hospitalized since thanksgiving suffering from bronchitis. as members of congress spend christmas at home they are hearing about guns, for and against further restrictions

shaping up to be one of the next year's biggest battle. justice correspondent pete williams has details. >> if you things illustrate the nation's divide over guns as sharply as this. the debate over high capacity magazines that can hold more than ten rounds of ammunition. on the website of brown el's which calls itself the biggest supplier of accessories, 20 and 30 round magazines are featured stocking stuffs. the company's president says sales in one 72 who your period equalled what's usually sold in 3 1/2 years. connecticut state police say adam lanza used several clips on a semi-automatic rifle to shoot the 26 victims at sandy hook elementary. >> these mass killings have to stop and we have to do everything we can. it will include looking at how many bullets do you need in a magazine in a semi-automatic weapon. >> on "meet the press," david gregory asked the nra's chief spokesman, why not bring back

the ten-year ban that expired in 2004. >> i don't believe that's going to make one difference. there are so many different ways to evade that. you had that for ten years when goin feinstein passed that in '94. columbine occurred right in the middle of it. it didn't make any difference. >> the prospect of a ban on macks or assault weapons had people in atlanta standing in line for more than an hour at a gun show. customers at this shooting ranging in arizona say those weapons are widely used by sports cnn guys that shoot clays, guys that shoot trophy animals, a lot of them are done with semi-automatics. >> a group representing mothers says it will fight hard for a ban. >> 80 million moms are not going to let the 4 million members of the nra drive the discussion on this. >> both sides are prepared for the biggest battle over gun control in 20 years. pete williams, nbc news, washington. >> what is open today if you need to get out of the house? and an epic fail on one of the biggest movie batching weeks of

the year. your first look at this morning's business head lies lines is straight ahead. >> and which new flicks are hitting the screen. are you watching "first look." because your daughter really wants that pink castle thing. and you really don't want to pay more than you have to. only citi price rewind automatically searches for the lowest price. and if it finds one, you get refunded the difference. just use your citi card and register your purchase online. have a super sparkly day! ok. [ male announcer ] now all you need is a magic carriage. citi price rewind. start saving at citi.com/pricerewind. i just finished a bowl of your new light chicken pot pie soup and it's so rich and creamy... is it really 100 calories? let me put you on webcan... ...lean roasted chicken... and a creamy broth mmm i can still see you. [ male announcer ] progresso. you gotta taste this soup.

happy holidays. welcome back to "first look." some stories making news this morning and some sad news to report to you. charles durning who was often called the king of character actors has died in new york at 89. durning was nominated for an oscar for his over the top performance as a governor in 1982's "the best little whorehouse in texas." a year later he got a nomination for "to be or not to be." jack klugman died monday afternoon in los angeles at the age of 90. he starred as a medical examiner in the tv series quincy," but he is perhaps best known for his role as felix unger's sloppy roommate oscar in the tv version "the odd couple"". at the vatican, the pope led his midnight mass at 109 p.m. to

allow himself more rest before his big christmas day speech. he told worshipers he's worried there is no room left for god in our hectic and technology-driven lives. in the kabul, u.s. and other nato soldiers celebrated christmas eve away from their families and friends with a special meal and candlelight service. here is one soldier's take on not being home for the holidays. >> you know this job comes with a price. many of the soldiers they realize that price. so even though we'd like to be with our families we realize the importance of what we're doing here and we believe in it. >> while the first family vacations in hawaii, first lady michelle obama took phone calls from some lucky kids who are tracking the progress of santa claus through a site set up by norad. as it turns out, a record number of those kids and adults were looking for reel time updates on st. nick. as of midnight, trackers answered more than 111,000

calls. that is 4,000 more than last christmas. pretty cool. major markets ended christmas eve on the downside, but who could be gloomy with santa on hand to ring the bell. chris botti jazzed up the stock exchange with a little christmas cheer. some 17 million shoppers were out yesterday with gift cardeds, wine and liquor topping last minute flicks. netflix suffered a massive outage which it blamed on the cloud network. acer is reportedly looking to launch a $99 tablet early next year. if you are looking for last minute gift or maybe a bite to eat this morning it, starbucks, ihop and equal green's should all be open today. it will be a short merry christmas for members of congress with the country perched on the precipice of what some are calling fiscal disaster. lawmakers return to week to what

looks like an impossible task of trying to prevent across the board tax hikes and spending cuts. jennifer johnson has details. >> reporter: a peaceful capitol hill for another few days. congress is expected to come back later this week as america gets closer to the fiscal cliff. some larrymakers are now calling for a small scale deal as a temporary fix. >> i think it's impossible to get any kind of grand bargain or comprehensive package. i think we're dealing right now with whether or not we can put off the increases in tax rates. that's really all we can deal with right now. >> the house will stand in recess subject to the call of the chair. >> reporter: congress recessed after republicans rejected john boehner's compromise. he proposed letting tax cuts expire for those making over $1 million a year. other republicans say it's time for a deal. >> i agree with him. i don't think we ought to increase taxes on anyone. however, we're now at a point where we're not going to get what we think is right for our economy and our country.

>> with congress coming back, the president will also reportedly cut short his holiday vacation in hawaii. democrats hope mr. obama will continue to fight for a complete agreement, not just a temporary patch. >> i definitely hope that he can and will continue to push for as big a deal as possible, but you've got to remember now, we're just a few days away. >> if no deal is reached over 2 million americans will lose their jobless benefits and workers will see a 2% cut in take home pay as social security payroll taxes go up january 1st. jennifer johnson, nbc news, washington. >> well, around this time of year, there is a big surprise that happens on the rockefeller center ice skating rink outside our news world headquarters. it happens about half a dozen times a day every day. erica hill has the story. >> right outside our doors at rockefeller center, home to the christmas tree, we often hear an

plows this time of year. and when we do, we know it means something special is happening. >> yeah. >> the reason for those snoemts people like summit choong flew 4,000 miles from the netherlands just to be here. >> keep skating. >> he's about to give his girlfriend rina the surprise of her life. >> she doesn't have a clue. she's been waiting for this for a long time. >> she's been dropping hints for you too around the house. >> yeah, she does. she puts books on my pillow with wedding dresses and rings. >> summit is going to propose. he chose this spot because it's the same place from rina's favorite movie scene. >> i know i don't deserve a christmas. >> in home alone" at the end kevin stands in front of the tree. that's her favorite moment. i this i why not bring her to the tree. >> you're confident she's going to say yes, right? >> i think she's going to say yes, yeah. i'm still nervous. >> she thinks she's just here to

skate beneath that famous tree. but an the rink empties summit keeps her on the ice. >> baby, do you want to marry me? [ applause ] >> yeah. >> he looked me very deep into the eyes. i just started crying. >> during the holidays, an plows rings out many times every day. >> i love you so much. will you please marry me? >> yes. >> yet another perfect proposal. complete with victory lap led on by cheers from the crowd. well, almost perfect. so if you get a chaps to visit us here in new york city, listen for the applause. >> i love you. will you marry me?

>> erica hill, nbc news, new york. >> oh, that is so sweet. well, coming up next, britain's queen elizabeth goes 3-d for her holiday message, plus go behind the scenes to see what it takes to decorate the nation's most famous residence. you're watching "first look" on msnbc. initiated. neural speeds increasing to 4g lte. brain upgrading to a quad-core processor. predictive intelligence with google now complete. introducing droid dna by htc. it's not an upgrade to your phone. it's an upgrade to yourself.

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for a dumbo? elephants dressed in festive gear visited a group of school children to hand out holiday gifts. students jumped to catch presents and pet the reindeer who also danced for the audience. the visit was especially heartwarming as many locals lost their homes and belongings to a flood earlier this year. here is your first look at some of the other news going around now. at homes, streets and churches were dotted with tens of thousands of luminaries christmas eve burning rightly in remembrance of the massacre. a total of 30,000 bags and candles were handed out in packs of 26 to honor each victim. some clever elves at the white house released time lapse video beginning a behind the scenes glimpse of all the prep work involved in decorating the mansion for the holidays. a total of 85 volunteers from across the country decked the halls with fruit, flowers and holly for the season. when it was all done, the obama's dog beau was called in

for a final tour of the festive decor. and not far from there, santa came to town in maryland for a wet and wild christmas. check this out as he's done then past 27 years, he ditched the sleigh for water skis. the jolly big guy was joined by his knee boarding reindeer and acrobatic elves who flipped their way across the river. very nice. a touching story from greenville, south carolina where one toddler put santa to the test this year. hunter wanted one thing for christmas. his daddy. a soldier serving oversaenz wasn't due back till january. with the help of a little christmas magic, santa delivered. hunter was reunited with his father just in time for the big day. it has been a big year for the british royal family especially for the queen who has been celebrating her 60 years on the throne and in honor of that big milestone, the queen is doing something for the very first time this christmas, filming her message in 3-d.

our role koirpt has details. >> would you like to come in? >> she is 86 but a very modern monarch. the queen has her own facebook page, a flicker photo stream and the british monarch kill twitter account. now she's recorded her christmas message in 3-d. >> all those who is saw the achievement and courage. >> even though only a few hundred thousand of its millions of viewers will be able to see it in that format. she has her own 3-d glasses embossed with the letter "q" for queen and she put them on for a viewing. the london olympics and paralympics were a highlight of this diamond jubilee year. and the christmas message concludes with a special tribute to britain's athletes. >> as london hosted a splendid summer of sport, all those who saw the achievement and courage at the olympic and paralympic

games were inspired by the skill, training dedication and teamwork of our athletes. in pursuing their own sporting goals, they gave the rest of us the opportunity to share something of the excitement and drama. >> the diamond jubilee has left the british monarchy more popular than for many years. officials here say that with the anniversary of the coronation coming up, the queen intends to maintain the momentum next year. tim ewart, itv news, bummingham palace. >> to you for entertainment news. hollywood is offering up joyous tidings on the big screen this holiday sure to appeal to a wide variety of tastes. here is raphael seth with a look at the new relations ♪ i dreamed a dream in time gone by ♪ >> the theaters' longest-running musical gets a bigger stage in

less myself". anne hathaway is getting raves as fantine. hugh jack man, russell crowe and amanda seyfert tell the story of broken dreams and lost love in france. it is rated pg. >> you kill people and they give you reward. >> jamie foxx gets a license to kill in "django unchained" playing a southern slave freed two years before the civil war released into the custody of a bounty hunter. they go after leonardo dicaprio leonardo dicapr who may own the deed to the wife he lost at a save auction. >> bette midler and bill lu crystal baby-sit the grandkids in "parental guidance." their old school rules don't fly. so the grandparents learn it's the surprises you make not the stand you take that keeps the

family together. it is rated pg. >> matt damon tries to tip the balance of power in "promised land." a small town has been hit hard by the economic downturn so it should be easy for him to buy out the poor farmers so his company can drill for gas. "promised land" is rated r. that's the box office preview, raphael seth, nbc news. >> now for another look at the weather, here is meteorologist dil condition drier. where was the jud apatow movie? >> you're so bummed about that, right? >> i was planning my mom to see it. >> i'm sure it's still out there. >> i didn't get to see the review you. >> make the review, veronica. that's the point. we are looking as the a very cold christmas morning all through the dakotas. windchills right now down at around 8 to 10 below zero. very frigid air up that way. we'll see that be an issue all through the dakotas and into

minneapolis all day long. we also have snow about six inches of snow possible parts in parts of oklahoma. you see this dark shade of pink and purple basically from arkansas right up into northern new england, there is the chance for 6 to 12 inches with more than a foot of snow through southern indiana, through ohio into northwestern pennsylvania and through the buffalo, new york area, as well. a closer look shows you right after the great lakes wb enhancement, we will see perhaps a foot of snow. we also have severe weather breaking out through louisiana where we could see tornadoes develop as we go through the day. we're looking for most of our severe weather down in the southeast and then that snow spreads eastward through the day tomorrow. >> thanks, dylan. a merry christmas. >> to you too. >> this is "first look" on msnbc.